Closing device for gas-retorts.



PATENTED OCT. 10, 1905.

R. RBISTER. CLOSING DEVICE FOR GAS RETORTS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 8,1904.

4 SHEETSSHEET l.

PATENTED OCT. 10, 1905.

R. REISTER. CLOSING DEVICE FOR GAS RETORTS.

APPLIOA'HOK FILED AUG-8,1904.

4 sums-51mm 2.

PATENTED OCT. 10, 1905.

R. REISTER. CLOSING DEVIGBFOR GAS RETORTS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 8,1904.

4 SHEETSSHEET 8.

No. 801,268. PATENTED OCT. 10, 1905.

R. REISTBR. CLOSING DBVIGE FOR GAS RETORTS.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 8,1904. '1

- 4 S HEETS-SHBET 4. Fig. 8.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFTCE- ROBERT REISTER, OF DESSAU, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO DESSAUER VER TIKAL-OFEN-GESELLSOHAFT M. B. 11., OF BERLIN, GERMANY.

CLOSING DEVICE FOR GAS-RET'ORTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 10, 1905.

Application filed August 8, 1904. Serial No. 219,983.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT REISTER, a subject of the German Emperor, residing at 17 Goethestrasse, Dessau,Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Connections with Closing Devices for Gas-Retorts, of which the following is a specification.

In the application of vertical retorts to the manufacture of coal-gas it is necessary to operate the lower closing lids or covers of the retorts from outside of the bench of retorts, because it would be dangerous for the attendant to stand below the base-plate of the bench of retorts on account of the discharged masses of glowing coke, and the door of the retort is not accessible on account of the receptacle placed below the retort to receive the coke.

The object of this invention is to providea device which permits of the closing of the retort-lids with ease and safety, while at the same time it presents a great certainty of action and simplicity of construction.

According to this invention closing members provided with Morton locking devices are adopted, and the arrangement is so contrived that both the opening and closing of the lid and the loosening and locking of the closing device are effected from the side of the bench of retorts.

In the accompanying drawings are shown, by way of example, two forms of the closing device constructed in accordance with this invention.

Figure l is a view of the device as seen from below; Fig. 2, a section through a bench of retorts; Fig. 8, aside view of the device. Figs. at, 5, and 6 are details of the locking device. Fig. 7 is a View similar to Fig. 1, illustrating a modification; Fig. 8, a longitudinal view of the same; Fig. 9, a side view of the device partly in section. Figs. 10, 11, and 12 are details drawn to a larger scale.

In the drawings, a is the lower end of a retort; b, the cast-iron base-plate on which the retorts rest.

0 is the lid of the lower end of the retortlid, (Z the forked closing-lever, and e the corresponding hinged catch. The lid 0 is pivotally connected to the forked lever, which is rigidly connected to a shaft g, mounted in eyes or bearings f, cast on the base-plate. The shaft 9, which extends to outside the longer side of the bench of retorts and this spindle, rests in an outer support it and carries a bevel-wheel t', which meshes with the bevel-wheel m, loose on the driving-shaft 7c and capable of being engaged therewith by the clutch Z. The shaft is can be rotated forward and backward by ahandle. (Not shown in the drawings.) The hinged catch 0, keeping the lid on its seat, can turn on two eccentrics 0 and 0, provided on a shaft n, extending likewise to the longer side of the bench of retorts. On one side of the hinged catch is a pin or stop which lies in the path of the motion of an arm q, fixed to the eccentricshaft 02. In order to protect the door from excessive heat and to fill the lower end of the retort that stands beyond the firing Zone of the furnace, the said lid is internally provided with a removable hollow protecting-case r.

The operation of the device is then as follows: If a retort a is to be opened, the eccentric-shaft n is rotated by the lever s in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 3, which movement causes the eccentrics 0 and 0 to release the pressure on the lever 61 by raising the hinged catch 6 from the position shown in Fig. 5 to the position shown in Fig. 6. The hinged catch is then turned around in the direction of the arrows (shown in Fig. 6) by the arm (1 striking on the pin 19 until the end of the lever (Z is free, and the door (owing to the clawclutch being out of gear) drops down by virtue of its own weight and the weight of the column of coke resting thereon. In order that the door should not swing to and fro and prevent the discharge of the coke, it is advisableto arrest its motion by a ratchet-wheel and detent arrangement A or by a springcatch. If the door that is open is to be closed, the corresponding clutch, say Z, is thrown into gear, the ratchet-wheel and detent arrangement A is released, and the shaft g turned by a handle until the lid comes against its seat. The eccentric-shaft is then turned in the direction opposite to that shown in Figs. 3 and 6, thereby bringing the hinged catch over the end of the lever (Z of the lid and pressing firmly down the latter. It will be seen that only one motion releases the closing device and sets the door free, and that likewise one motion brings the lid to its seat and presses it firmly thereon.

In a modification of the device shown in Figs. 7 to 12, as applied to two parallel rows of retorts, the operation of the retort-lids is effected by means of a rack common to all the retorts, while the abutting ends of the shafts g of the lids of two adjacent retorts carry a loose spur-wheel '0, meshing with the rack u and capable of being coupled, by means of claw-clutches Z, with either of the shafts g, to which the lids are attached. The rack u is operated by the handle w on a crankshaft The crank 3/ on this shaft is con nected to the rack a by means of a link For the purpose of partly balancing the weight of the lids a counterweight acting on the shaft 0, is provided. The size of the counterweight (1 and its position relatively to the crank 3 are so arranged so that at the end positions of the racks-z1 c. when the lids are entirely closed or fully openthe moment due to the counterweight acting on the shaft is greater than the moment due to the weight of thelids as transmitted to the crank by the rack and link, for the tangential component of the force acting on the link in the said end positions is very small on account of the smallness of the angle which the link forms with the crank connected thereto. The clutches Z can, as in the hereinbefore-described arrangement, be thrown in or out of gear by hand, or the arrangement may be so contrived that the whole of the clutches are operated from a central point. For this purpose the cluteh-levers B are controlled by cams (Z liXed to a shaft These cams are arranged at suitable intervals on the shaft 7, which is capable of being moved longitudinally and be fixed in any desired position by means of latch v capable of engaging in annular grooves 6, so that only one cam at a time is in position for operating clutch-levers. By turning the cam-lever in one or the other direction one or the other of a pair of clutches is thrown into gear against the action of a spring 7%. The operation is as follows: If a retort is to be emptied, the cam-shaft is so shifted that the cam of the clutches to be operated comes into action. The shaft j is then turned in the required direction to couple the shaft g with the toothed wheel 0;, and consequently with the rack. The eccentric locking device of the lid is released as hereinbefore described and the lid opened by turning the shaft :0 by means of the lever 10. As soon as the lid has passed beyond its lowest position its counterweight retards its motion. W'hen, however, the counterweight reaches its highest point it holds back the lid, so that it cannot swing to and fro, and prevents the discharge of the coke. As soon as the retort is empty the lid is closed by turning the lever 20 in the opposite direction, the counterweight then exerting pressure to maintain the lid in its closed position, so that the operator can release the lever and operate the eccentric locking device. The clutch-coupling is thereupon thrown out of gear by turning the cam (Z backward, the spring at pulling back the clutch-lever to its original position. In

this manner it is possible to connect each retort-lid with the rack or to disconnect it therefrom, so that the corresponding retort may be opened or closed. In this respect the arrangement leaves nothing to be desired as regards easy operation and supervision. The arrangement can, of course, be used in the same manner without anymaterial alteration so as to operate a row of retorts. Likewise the various parts may be altered without departing from the spirit of this invention. Thus the spring a may be omitted and the coupling be effected by the cam by causing the latter to engage in a recess in the clutchlever, as shown in Fig. 12.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is 1. In a device of the character described, the combination with a lid, of a shaft, a lever mounted on the shaft and connected to the lid, an eccentric-shaft, an arm secured to said shaft, a catch mounted on the eccentrics, a stop connected to said catch, and means for operating said shaft from the side of the furnace, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the character describcd,the combination with a series of lids, of shafts connected to said lids, devices arranged upon the sides of the furnace for operating the shafts, and means for connecting and disconnecting any one of said shafts with said devices, substantially as described.

8. Inadevice of the character described, the combination with a series of lids, of shafts connected to said lids, devices arranged upon the sides of the furnace for operating the shafts, means for connecting and disconnecting any one of said shafts with said devices, means for connecting a series of eccentricshafts, latches mounted thereon, and independent means for operating said eccentric-shafts and thereby operate the latches, substantially as described.

4c. In adevice of the character described, the combination with a series of lids, of a series of shafts connected to said lids, said shafts extending to the side of the furnace, an operating-shaft, connections between said operating-shaft and said lid-carrying shafts, a series of clutches mounted on the operatingshaft, and means for engaging any one of the clutches with its corresponding connection, substantially as described.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination with a series of lids, of a series of shafts connected to said lids, said shafts extending to the side of the furnace, an operating-shaft, connections between said operating-shaft and said lid-carrying shafts, a series of clutches mounted on the operating: shaft, a longitudinally moving shaft, and cams mounted on said shaft, and adapted to opera-te the clutches, substantially as described.

mounted on said shaft, the shaft having a series of grooves, and a latch cooperating With said grooves for adjusting said shaft, substantially as described.

7. In a device of the character described, the

combination With a lid, of a shaft to which said lid is connected, means for locking the I5 lid in its closed position, means for releasing said locking device, and devices connected to said shaft to retain the lid in its open position, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my 20 name to this specification in the presence of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

ROBERT REISTER. Witnesses:

FRANZ SOHAFER, FRIEDRICH GEIER. 

